Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Letter to My More "Conservative" Friends

I just had one of those 'lightbulb' moments in regards to your opinions and distrust towards liberalism (is that a word?). Over the years from knowing you and being annoyed by your provocations, I've also have grown to understand and allowed myself to be more open to seeing the world through your eyes. Whenever new perspectives are introduced and old ones are revisited, admittedly, it is liberating when those lightbulb moments go off. Not only because it may change my way of thinking, but more importantly it allows me to empathize and to intellectually understand the other side.

What motivated and propelled me to write this post is a story I heard on NPR's Morning Edition, Disruptive Jewish Settlers Anger Israeli Officials. It was so obviously biased and distorted that it really upset me to hear this coming from NPR, a media source I trust and thoroughly enjoy. This story wasn't the only one lately that has grabbed my attention and has left me wanting to write a letter to them.

In an interview on WAMU's (an NPR station) The Splendid Table, with author, Chris Fair and her book "Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States : A Dinner Party Approach to International Relations", Chris Fair was merrily discussing her book, with funny and interesting anecdotes which I was enjoying. It was entertaining until I began to really listen to her, go on and on about Israel and their new slogan that the Falafel is Israel's national food. She was explaining (in a light-hearted tone) how annoyed and upset (and justifiably so) Palestinians are against Israel and Israelies for robbing them of this culinary national treasure (tongue in cheek here).

I don't think I am being overly sensitive by believing that she clearly had an agenda in the way she one-sidedly described Israel, it's policies, the Palestinians, and how their identity and cultural inheritance is being stolen away from them, with Israel's claim that the falafel is their national food.

But back to this morning's report, as I was listening to it, and getting more and more angry, it hit me why so many conservatives despised NPR. And it actually planted a seed of doubt in my mind to any story that they (NPR) report on, universally.

It's an awful and disappointing feeling, and a point that I hope NPR will seriously take in consideration.

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